The Prom, Chapter five
Chapter five of the The Prom. This chapter is a modified version of Daring Dan's "Innocents Aboard". Story Kit blinks and was awake, momentarily disoriented. He looked around the room, still in the hospital. His sense of time was a little off due to the fog that shrouded him after the surgery, but this felt like the third day he'd been here. He glanced to his right, and saw Baloo slumped over in the chair snoring gently. Kit smiled, must have slept here again, he did it for me... he thought to himself. The teen, still weak, tried to sit up, causing an involuntary yelp from the pain his still very tender side. Baloo, normally a sound sleeper, jolted awake immediately at the yelp, and looked around frantically for an instant before settling his eyes on Kit. "Kid what's the matter? you okay?" he demanded, "I'm fine, just trying to sit up..." Kit wheezed, "stop that! you know you're still too weak for that, let me help you" Baloo admonished and tenderly the big bear propped a pillow behind the adolescent's back and with immaculate care lifted the teen into a sitting position, "thanks papa-bear, sorry to be such a bother-" Kit began, "nothing I'd rather be doing" Baloo replied with a yawn, "you shouldn't have slept here Baloo, that chair looks really uncomfortable, I would've been OK-" Kit protested, "stop it! there's no way they were getting me outa this room Lil-Britches" Baloo interrupted testily, both bears looked up as a smiling nurse, a young anglerfish in a white skirt and blouse, walked in carrying a tray laden with red gelatin, dry toast and a mug of tea, "good morning sweetheart!" she said setting the tray in front of the boy, "Dr. Gosselin said you should try to eat some solid food today, so I want to see you make a dent on that tray, alright?" she requests, "thanks! do you think you could bring some breakfast for papa-bear too?" Kit grinned up at her, "I don't know, guests are supposed to eat in the cafeteria..." she said thoughtfully, but then winked at Kit, "but for you, I think I can make an exception!" she finished happily and headed back out into the hallway, Baloo chuckled and tousled Kit's hair fondly as the boy tentatively took a nibble of toast, "Ms. Cunningham!" he said happily as Rebecca and Riven walked into the room, "morning!" she called cheerily leaning over to kiss Kit on the cheek and patting Baloo on the neck fondly, "how's our patient this morning?" she asks, "fine, still a little sore, but I guess there's something in the I.V. that keeps the pain down, thanks for coming Ms. Cunningham" Kit answered sipping his tea, "yeah thanks Becky, you've been down here a lot, real nice o' you, and Riven" Baloo added, "happy to!" she smiled pulling up a chair and sitting next to Baloo, "here Kit, I stopped on the way and got you the new issue of 'Scarf and Goggles'" she says to Kit and hands a magazine, "wow, thanks guys!" he smiled grabbing the comic: the cover had a Blohm & Voss BV-141 asymmetrical-recon-bomber-plane on it: a rather odd plane in that it's engine and cockpit each have their own fuselage (hence the term "asymmetrical", 'cause the starboard and port-flanks are not identical); the engine and tail make up the plane's left-side, while the cockpit had the right, it was also limited in numbers as not very many were built, mostly because its intended role was already taken by the Focke-Wulf Fw-189 Uhu-recon-plane (which resembled the Lightning-fighter a bit, mainly the tail), as a result most got sold off to Hounsland's fellow axis-nations like Thembria, who found good uses for them, "the last issue was a cliffhanger too! thanks a lot!" he repeated, Baloo smiled gratefully and clasped her paw, "and-" she continued, "I ran into your doctor outside, and he said, if there are no complications and you have no fever, you can come home tomorrow! isn't that nice?" she finished, "great! I miss being home: people are real nice here, but it's, depressing, you know?" Kit said, "sure will be good to have you back Lil-Britches" Baloo smiled, "Ms. Cunningham, I know I've been kinda out of it an' all, but it sure seems like Baloo has been here a lot" Kit yawned, "who's been doin' all the deliveries? I hope you didn't shut down the business 'cause of me-" he adds "stop worrying kid!" Baloo scolded, "he's right Kit, stop worrying" Rebecca added, "Wildcat and me has done a couple of the really important deliveries, some of the others could wait, just get better and don't concern yourself, alright? Higher-for-Hire will be fine, you're the important thing right now" Riven asserted, "ok" the boy said reluctantly, closing his eyes, even this small amount of talking had worn him out. He started remembering the last times when he'd been sick, he had chicken pox in the orphanage back in Freeport: he was confined to the orphanage's infirmary for days until it diminished, and mostly had to deal with it alone as usual back then, it was both boring and depressing in his opinion, and he'd been sick at least once out on the streets, which was worse: he could barely afford any needed medications, and had little to no one trying to help him, and while most kids would resent being treated like this for fear of embarrassment, due to his experience of having a mostly bad childhood, he'll never take Baloo and Rebecca's kindness for granted, no matter how embarrassing he may wind up making himself look in front of other kids who would undoubtedly tease him for it (thankfully though he never does get teased), all life was precious. He tried to open his eyes again, to look at Baloo Riven and Rebecca, but found that he was too exhausted and fell into a peaceful sleep. The next day, Kit was cleared for discharge from the hospital and was being wheeled out in a wheelchair by his legal-guardians towards the curb, where a taxicab stood waiting for them. The right-half of Kit's belly is revealed to had been shaved before the surgery days ago. "Doc.." Baloo started, "I just wanna tell you, I'm real grateful for everything you did for Lil-Britches, we all are" he finished, "that's quite alright" Dr. Gosselin smiled, "I'm only doing my job, now remember: Kit is to have bed rest for at least three days, I can't stress that enough, as he's still very weak and he has to mind his stitches as well" he adds instructively, "bed rest, got it" Baloo said obediently, and the horseshoe-crab handed him two bottles of pills, "these are Kit's prescriptions, it's quite normal for a patient to have some pain after surgery, he's to have one pain reliever before he goes to bed and one after lunch, only if the pain gets very, very bad may he have an extra, they're very strong, and they'll make him quite drowsy, and he's already had his pill this afternoon, so along with what's already in his system from the intravenous he should be fine for the rest of the day, the antibiotics are four times a day, for ten days, understand?" he instructs "understood" Baloo replied, the doctor bent over and put a hand on Kit's shoulder, "get well soon young man, I didn't put all that work into you just to have you screw it up, you take it easy" he advised, "OK, thanks doc" Kit grinned sheepishly, "oh and you have to worry about getting the stitches removed, they're made of a substance called chitin, which comes from my kind's bones, they'll meld into the wound and heal it, but no prom I'm afraid, and lay off the cloud-surfing too" he laughed clapping the boy on the shoulder gently, "you know about that?" Rebecca asked surprised, "well yeah, everyone knows that these days, I can't say it sounds safe to me, but I can already tell he's an expert! just not for a couple of weeks at least alright?" Gosselin chuckled holding open the car door, "no problem there doc" Baloo answered lifting Kit out of the wheelchair with extreme gentleness and maybe exaggerated care, then tenderly set the teen down on the back seat of the cab, "you OK Lil-Britches?" Baloo asks, "fine, thanks again doc" the boy smiled, then yawned, "here, don't forget this" Gosselin said handing the boy a cane, "remember to use that when you get out of bed, which I stress again should be only when absolutely necessary for at least three days" the doctor instructed and shook everyone's hand, and with a wave turned to return to the hospital, "good luck to all of you! remember: bed rest!" he repeats, the doctor took Baloo aside for a moment, "the boy may be in a lot of pain Mr. Baloo, just stay with him and don't panic, alright? it's a natural part of the healing, but it can be a little scary" he whispers, "OK doc, natural, right" Baloo responds, "see you soon" he bids and shook Baloo's hand and was gone, Baloo stowed Kit's bag in the trunk and climbed in next to the teen, Rebecca sliding in next to him with Riven, and the taxi started for Higher-for-Hire, "excited to be coming home partner?" Baloo grinned at the boy, "you bet! these darn pills just make me so tired..." Kit yawned, "Wildcat Rey and the tykes sure will be happy to have you home Kit, Higher-for-Hire just hasn't felt the same without you there" Rebecca smiled, "don't know how you'd know" Kit giggled tiredly, "you've been at the hospital so much..." the cub began but fell on Baloo's chest, eyes closed, and yawned again, within a minute he was sound asleep, "well, if that isn't trust, I've never seen it" Rebecca whispered squeezing the pilot's arm gently, Baloo said nothing and just stared down at Kit's peaceful face, his expression unreadable, "penny for your thoughts" Rebecca giggled softly, Baloo smiled over at her, "I just love to watch the kid sleep Becky, dunno why, can't really explain it-" Baloo admits "you're a parent" she grinned patting his hand and joining him in looking down at Kit, "we all do that, no one knows why, I caught him doing it to Ramon once, thank god that's over Baloo, I'm exhausted, and if I'm this much of a wreck, I can only imagine how you must feel" she adds, with a tired sigh she leaned back on the seat, "lucky, I can't even imagine if anything would have happened, what I would've-" Baloo answered, his gaze unwavering, "well, it didn't, thank goodness, I suppose we should talk about what the schedule will be like, back at work, and all...Kit will need someone to stay with him for the next few days, maybe we should phone his school and tell them he and Rey can't attend..." Rebecca proposed, Baloo sighed, "and Lil-Britches is gonna bug me to go back and fly" he remarks, "well, I'm in the office all day anyway Baloo: I can stay with Kit, it's really up to you" Rebecca smiled, "we'll see, let's just play it by ear huh?" Baloo said wearily, closing his eyes, "excuse me, we're here mam: Higher-for-Hire" the driver whispered, having assessed the situation in the back seat, "thank you, keep the change, will you bring the bags from the trunk please? I'll take the cane and the medicine Baloo, the bedroom is all ready" she answered quietly handing the driver a bill, "thanks Beckers" the big grey bear whispered gingerly shifting Kit's head from his chest without waking him up, he slipped out of the cab and, placing one massive arm under the boy's knees and one under his neck, tenderly lifted him out, the adolescent stirred slightly but did not wake up, Wildcat walked over, carrying his wrench and grinning a mile wide, "hey Kit's back, huh? how's he doing? looks like he's quieter than the Sea Duck when she's outa gas!" he whispered, Baloo grinned, "he's great Wildcat: strong as an ox he is, uh Wildcat, I never told you but, thanks for everything: you were great, that first night, when it all happened" he whispers "no problem! like, the ground crew's job is ta take care of the flight crew, right? boy he's all conked out, better get him ta bed man!" the mechanic grinned, Baloo walked inside and Rebecca Riven and the mechanic shared a smile, slowly and carefully the pilot ascended the stairs and entered the bedroom, Rebecca hadn't been kidding: the room was prepared, a stack of Kit's comics sat on the nightstand, the gramophone and a pile of records sat next to the boy's bed, within easy arm's reach, the covers were even turned back, Baloo gingerly laid the teen down in the bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, Kit stirred and blinked his eyes awake, "hi Baloo, did I conk out again?" he said a little irritably, Baloo sat on the bed and smoothed the boy's hair with a grin, "can't keep you awake kid! it's them pills I think, just get some more sleep, I'll be here when you wake up and I'll get you some dinner if you're hungry, OK?" Baloo advised, "K" Kit replied with a monstrous yawn, "I'm home, huh?" he said rolling his eyes around the room, "you're home" Baloo chuckled, and picked up the latest issue of "Bullethead" as the boy drifted off. Stay tuned for The Prom, Chapter six Gallery Category:Fanon for the talespin series Category:Fan fiction